3 Short Reads on CHANGE

CHANGE is the only constant in life and yet we struggle to cope with it when it occurs. Most of the times, when we struggle to adapt to the change, the reason is our refusal to move out of our comfort zone into something new and unknown. Here's sharing in this post about 3 easy-to-read and interesting titles on Change. These reads are like a joyride for the readers, as they embark on their journey to understanding and embracing change.

WHO MOVED MY CHEESE by Spencer Johnson - An all time bestseller on the subject of CHANGE, the beauty of the book lies in its simple approach to connect with the readers. This parable/ fable is about 4 characters - 2 mice, Scurry and Sniff and 2 "little people", Hem and Haw, who are living happily in their maze, regularly getting their supply of "cheese". Things get tougher when one day they find the cheese missing. This is precisely where the things get interesting and the book traces the journey of each of the characters in how they respond to this unforeseen situation. The book may be a short (sub 100 pages) but has immense lessons for us regarding dealing with change. For me, the biggest lesson was to always be ready to adapt to the situation and be willing to move out of our comfort zone if it leads us to better and/ or favourable opportunities. The "cheese prompts" in the book act as wonderful pointers that guide us during the process of change. 

THE SHARK AND THE GOLDFISH by Jon Gordon - Here's another wonderful, though ultra short read on CHANGE. Imagine yourself being forcibly pushed out of your comfort zone by a wave of change, how would you respond ? Would you crib and play the blame game or would you try to adapt to the new situation as fast as you can by learning the tricks and tips of surviving ? This book is precisely about provoking us to think whether we tend to become a goldfish or a shark, when pushed into unknown territories. This fable is about a goldfish, a freshwater fish, who lands up in an ocean and is scared about how to survive in salt water. This is when an elderly Shark handholds and guide the Goldfish about what surviving in an ocean entails. The book is interspersed with pieces of advice that the Shark provides to the Goldfish. The key message of the book is to stay positive even when the going gets tough for us. 

OUR ICEBERG IS MELTING by John Kotter - If the above two mentioned books are about individual change, here's a one that talks about addressing change at an organisational level. This book is a fable about a colony of penguins who discover that the iceberg they are living on is melting. The book beautifully captures the dilemma that different team members face while confronting change. The fable in the book captures the emotions of fear, confusion, indecisiveness, and the similar very nicely and the readers can easily draw a parallel with their workplace. While reading this wonderful i almost started mapping the characters against the Innovation Diffusion Curve and it was real fun. The book is a must-read considering that the author, John Kotter has spent years researching the topic of change and flashes of the same can be found in the book too, with reference and mapping done to the 8 Step Process of Successful Change. A thoroughly enjoyable read and quite visually appealing too. 

Hope you like the above recommendations and here's ending this post with a wonderful quote on Change by Mandy Hale 

"Change can be scary but you know what's scarier ? Allowing fear to stop you from growing, evolving and progressing"

Summary of books read during Indian Readathon

Well, it isn't always easy to match the challenge when you are late and running against time but it was fun participating in the reading challenge. Here's a brief summary of the 3 books i read during the challenge:

• A comma in a sentence by R. Gopalkrishnan : This is a unique book in the sense that it takes us on a journey through the eyes of multiple generation, spanning the period from pre-Independence of India to post-Independence of India. How transitions happen during tribulations is a highlight of this book. The book, very nicely, captures the transition through the lens of each generation. Nicely carved out book that traces the story of a family through the changing times in India. 

• The Man from the Egg by Sudha Murty : If you are fond of Indian mythology, then this book tops up the existing knowledge. The book consist of many tales of the Trinity (or Trimurti) of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The content does justice to the title because many of the tales are unusual and i also happen to know of them only after reading them in the book. I enjoyed the book because never did the flow of the tales broke at my point. All the tales seemed so seamlessly integrated with each other.

• Pax Indica by Shashi Tharoor : If you are fond of Political genre then this books offers a lot, but mainly about the foreign policy aspect. The book has many interesting references to the historical while discussing about status quo. The book discusses india's foreign policy related to all its neighbours and then draws background from historical references and then takes a pro-establishment approach to talk about strategies and solutions for strengthening the mutual bond between India and each of its neighbour.   

Book List - Three Books about Life's Lessons

There's something special and unique about certain books that instill in us that extra bit of courage to take on life's challenges, even the unforeseen ones, in the right spirit and be grateful for everything that we possess. Many a times in our life when tragedy strikes us, we get stunned and get stuck, unable to move ahead with our life. These precisely are the times when we seek solace by drawing inspiration from people who have been there before and have bravely overcome these adversities. These 3 amazing books are my personal favourites when we think about human courage and resilience. These 3 books are not only full of wisdom but are a testimony to the fact that nothing is bigger than the opportunity called life. However grim the situation may be, life always provides us with plenty to feel good about and cherish. And the most important lesson is to embrace life'e unpredictability.

• The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch - This is about the author's tryst with life after being detected with a terminal pancreatic cancer. The book captures the lecture titled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" delivered by Randy Pausch at Carnegie Mellon in September 2007. The book provides immense learning as the author recollects the memories from his childhood to the present and the lessons he learnt. He further shares about how living life and enjoying every moment is much more than anything else and how, after getting aware of his illness he started valuing every moment of it. The core message delivered by the book is to enjoy the life to its fullest and cherish every shades in it because one never knows when life may end.

• Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom - Here's another gem and this book is all about the lessons and learnings on living and dying that the author(Mitch Albom) gathers from one of his university professor, Morrie Schwartz, who is suffering from ALS(Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), a disease characterised by death of neurons controlling voluntary muscles. After watching his college teacher on a TV program, the author connects with his professor after a gap of 16 years and visits him. The author spends 14 Tuesday's with his professor and every meeting is about lessons and learnings on living and dying.

• Enjoy Every Sandwich by Lee Lipsenthal - This book is another masterpiece about reality of life. The book details out the life of the author post diagnosis of esophageal cancer. Inspite of being a medical doctor, how the protagonist deals with the vagaries of life is the central theme of this book. With a 90% chance of dying within 5 years, the book traces the author's journey of realisation and his ascend by accepting mortality, finding purpose and mission in life and appreciating every moment of life. 

So, to be fully alive and live well

• Accept Life's unpredictability
• Accept mortality and 
• Always exhibit gratitude for what you have always  

24 Life Changing Books

Books have the power to change and  this post is all about 24 life changing books that can transform our lives. This is not a sacrosanct list but purely my pick. These books have been my companion and support system, always preparing me well to deal with any upheavel in my life. This list is neither comprehensive nor complete but just an attempt to get the readers started with few real gems.

This compilation is based on the following premises:

• The book should touch our lives and personality at a deeper level
• The book should should be an easy and simple read so that any reader could relate to it
• The book length should keep the reader motivated to finish it in 1-2 readings to deliver the desired impact instantly. Almost all the books are short reads. 

Here's the list (the books are not ranked in any particular order)

• Notes to Myself - Hugh Prather 

A lovely insightful and honest book which provides ample of opportunities for self-reflection. The beauty of the book lies in how it came about out of personal scribblings and notes. Every page is like a food for thought to discover ourself. Read the detailed review at http://bit.ly/2qbC6YT

• The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

This book is all about fulfilling our dreams. It is about how a young man discovers his true calling, listens to his heart and realize all his dreams. This book is for every soul who dare to dream. 

• Who Moved My Cheese - Dr. Spencer Johnson

Most probably, the first (and maybe the only) book that explains the topic of CHANGE in such an interesting manner. It's a lovely fable which delves into the importance of change, why we resist change, what it takes to move us out of our comfort zone.

• The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari - Robin Sharma

The book uses a fable to share about the modern day dilemma of materialism. It's about dreams and  goals but most importantly it's about how we, most of the times, tend to forget the real purpose of our existence end up pursuing goals which only leads to a dead-end. 

• The Greatest Salesman In The World - Og Mandino

If looking for a shortcut to success, then this book fills that void. A wonderfully written book which talks about the principles of success. The book is like a convergence of sales and success and describes how a young man is shared the secrets of success by a dying old man (a trader) in the form of ten scrolls. The principles mentioned still hold relevance today. 

• Eat That Frog - Brian Tracy

Procrastination is the bane of effective time management and if there's any book which deals nicely with this then it's this one. This book is about prioritization and how simple habits and techniques could help us crack the productivity conundrum.

• Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey

This book is like a treatise on the subject of Productivity, Effectiveness and Efficiency. The book serves as a manual on Personal Excellence and deal with the topic so comprehensively and holistically. No need to look any further than this book for achieving your best self. 

• The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

Ever imagined, what if we just had today to live. This book is a real account of the author's tryst with reality after being detected with terminal illness and with limited time to live. The book is about living our dreams now and not waiting for any other day or occasion.

• Tiny Buddha - Lori Deschene

A nice book about the vagaries of life. For sure it contains good wisdom on living a better life. The book is all the more interesting because of the way the book got conceived. The author's personal experiences make the book very authentic. Read the detailed review at  http://bit.ly/2ECIH1J

• Man's Search For Meaning - Viktor Frankl

Mere words can't describe the greatness of this book. The book has many useful lessons on how to survive and thrive in most adverse circumstances in life. It's an account of the author's struggle for survival in Nazi's concentration camp during World War 2. The book is a lesson about living a purposeful life even in face of dire constraints 

• One Small Step Can Change Your Life the Kaizen Way - Robert Maurer

Applying the principles of Kaizen to bring about positive and progressive personal change is the theme of this book. It's amazing to note how the philosophy of incremental change could be descibed in such a simple way and that too with huge impact on our life. 

• Fish - Harry Paul, Stephen C Lundin, John Christensen

This book is about happiness and shows how even the most mundane task could be made exciting and fun-to-do. Applying the 4 guiding principles of Fish philosophy can transform any workplace into a highly motivated and productive place full of positivity and result-orientedness.   

• Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom

The book is all about hope and optimism. Based on a true story, the book is about a young man (the author) who gets to learn a lot from his once professor, who unfortunately is nearing death due to a terminal illness. The beauty is how the author's professor delivers life lessons even in the face of imminent death.

• Finding Your Strength In Difficult Times - David Viscott

When feeling short of advice or suggestions while dealing with upheavel in life, this book serves as a true companion. Written in a succinct manner, the book provides nuggets of wisdom for self-discovery and sane living. The book describes about how to develop a positive outlook while facing adverse situations and circumstances in life. Read the detailed review at http://bit.ly/2lGpiEg

• The War of Art - Steven Pressfield

This book is all about enabling us to be creative. It talks about the various resisting factors, the inner conflicts, the demons inside us that hold us back from being our creative best self. It then discusses about how to overcome the different types of Resistance and create our best possible self. 

• The Secret - Rhonda Byrne

This bestseller book is all about the ancient theory of "Law of Attraction" and describes how our thoughts create our desired reality. Not only the universal principle of "like attracts like" but also how to apply it in our real life is so beautifully explained.  An amazing book, it teaches us how we can manifest our own dreams by the power of thoughts and how our thoughts act like magnets and create the universe that we consistently "think".   

• Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach

An interesting book about the story of a seagull who pushes the limit to reach greater heights. The message is all about self-discovery, moving out of comfort zone and achieving our best possible self through the power of self-belief and confidence.

• The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success - Deepak Chopra

This masterpiece is a convergence of spirituality and practicality. The book explains how understanding our basic "human nature" and following the universal laws of nature enables us to achieve personal success. The premise is - whatever laws work with nature will work with humans too. 

• The Miracle Morning - Hal Elrod

This wonderful book, through its easy to apply approach provides six habits (routines) that can catapult us to greater heights of success and achievement. These requisite six habits of success mentioned in the book help build the required discipline to start our mornings more productively and calmly.     

• The Gifts of Imperfection - Brene Brown

A wonderful book with a profound message that "even with all our imperfections, we(humans) are still complete". Backed by research, the book delivers how inculcating the 3C's of Courage, Compassion and Connection can lead us embrace imperfections and lead us towards "Wholehearted Living". The book also highlights the need to be be authentic self and letting go of what holds us back from achieving that "self".  

• The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz

Drawing from the Toltec Wisdom, the book delivers four simple yet extremely powerful principles to help us get rid of our self-limiting beliefs and create a life full of love and happiness. The simplistic approach to explaining the four principles and their application in our lives makes it a wonderful read. 

• The Art of Living - Epictetus

This book makes a good read because of the crispness with which the underlying message is delivered in each of the teachings. The instructions are simple and clear and each of the 93 instructions in the book still hold as much relevance today as when the book was written. 

• Sam The Magic Genie -  Brian Mayne

An interesting tale on how positive thinking can change our lives for better. This book reiterates that even during times of fear and doubt, being positive is the only way to keep moving forward. The book presents the message of "positive thinking" through an interesting adventure tale undertaken by a boy who is struggling in life.

• Achieve Anything in Just One Year - Jason Harvey

An excellent book that can help create our dream life. A book full of inspiration where each of the 365 days provide a wonderful quote to start the day followed by relevant stories and/ or action items. Overall a highly impactful book.

Hope you have found your pick from the above !